Noremb-^r 20, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



705 



Notes From the Arnold Arboretum 



The vines play an important part among the new in- 

 troductions from China and particularly of the genus 

 Vitis and its allies a large number of new species have 

 been recently brought into cultivation. Some botanists 

 and particularly the older include in the genus Vitis al- 

 most all the members of the family of Vitaceae or Am- 

 pelideae, but most of the more recent botanists recognize 

 several genera, as we do at the Arboretum ; this nomen- 

 clature will he followed in these notes, though the use 

 of the name Vitis for all the species mentioned here can- 

 not be considered incorrect nor unscientific. 



The genus Vitis proper is easily distinguished from 

 the other genera even in winter time by the bark separat- 

 ing in long and thin strips and fibres; here belong all 

 the true Grape-vines with edible fruits. One of the most 

 interesting of the new species is Vitis armata (Spinovitis 

 Davidi) remarkable on account of the blunt prickles 

 which beset the stems and leaf-stalks. The leaves are 

 broadly ovate, heart-shaped at the base, slightly lobed 

 and from seven to ten inches long; on their upper sur- 

 face they are dark green, on the lower one bluish green 

 and glabrous and change in autumn to a bright scarlet. 

 A more vigorous variety with still more brilliant autumn 

 coloring is var. Veitchii. An allied species is Vitis 

 Romaneti; though not quite new, it is still little known 

 in cultivation ; its young stems and leaf-stalks are dense- 

 ly covered with bright purple bristles which give partic- 

 ularly to the young shoots a very striking and orna- 

 mental appearance. The leaves are broadly ovate, 

 slightly lobed and from five to nine inches long, dark 

 green on the upper surface and whitish tomentose be- 

 neath. Vitis Pagnuccii is the only true Vitis in culti- 

 vation which has leaves of two different shapes, undi- 

 vided and three-parted ones on the same branch ; the un- 

 divided leaves are ovate in outline, scarcely cordate at 

 the base and slightly or sometimes deeply lobed ; the di- 

 vided ones consist of three oblong-ovate leaflets ; on their 

 upper surface the leaves are dark green, beneath bluish 

 green and glabrous or nearly glabrous. Of the graceful 

 Japanese Vitis ftexuosa two new Chinese varieties have 

 been introduced ; of these var. chinensis has ovate leaves, 

 only about two inches long, slightly or not at all lobed 

 and dark green and glossy on their upper, purplish on 

 the lower surface, while in the var. Wilsoni the leaves 

 are of a metallic deep bronze green on the upper surface 

 and bright purple beneath. 



The other genera are distinguished from Vitis by the 

 close, not shredding bark, the generally corymbose inflor- 

 escence and the petals expanding in flowering, not fall- 

 ing off as a whole. The characters by which the several 

 genera are distinguished from each other are more 

 minute and cannot be well explained in a few words. Of 

 the genus Ampelopsis the most ornamental and hand- 

 some of the new species are Ampelopsis leeoides and 

 A. megalophylla : the former has pinnate leaves from 

 five to nine inches in length consisting of five or seven 

 stalked ovate-oblong and serrate leaflets, purplish when 

 unfolding, later dark green on the upper, whitish and 

 glabrous on the lower surface. The second species, 

 Ampelopsis megalophylla has even larger, doubly pin- 

 nate, Aralia-like leaves from two to three feet long; the 

 leaflets are in shape and color similar to those of the 

 former species, but much larger. Another new species, 

 Ampelopsis Delavayana, has the leaves three-parted; the 

 leaflets are oblong-ovate, from three to four inches long. 



dark green on the upper surface, paler and glabrous 

 beneath. 



A very handsome and graceful vine is Cissus Thom- 

 soni with digitate leaves similar to those of the Virginia 

 Creeper, bright purple when unfolding and retaining 

 the purple color on the under surface during the sum- 

 mer; the five oblong leaflets are serrate and from three 

 to four inches long. Another new species is Cissus re- 

 pcns (Vitis repens) with entire or only slightly three- 

 lobed leaves, broadly ovate in outline, glabrous and about 

 three inches long. 



Of the genus Psedera the very handsome P. Henryana 

 has already been described in the issue of July 24. An- 

 other new species Psedera sinensis has partly simple^ 

 only three-lobed leaves, broadly ovate in outline and 

 from four to five inches in length, and partly digitate 

 leaves with three to five leaflets, dark green on the 

 upper, pale bluish green and slightly tomentose on the 

 lower surface. 



Tetrastigma oht&ctum (Vitis obtecta) also has digi- 

 tate leaves consisting of three or five leaflets, oblong- 

 ovate in outline, the middle one longer and from three 

 to five inches in length. 



British Horticulture 



SOME NEW ENGLISH APPLES, PEARS, STBAWBEKRIES, ETC. 



Our fruit lists have been so extensively added to of 

 late years that one hesitates to mention the new varieties, 

 still there are a few undoubted acquisitions among 

 the many introductions. The new culinary apple, Eev. 

 W. Wilks is one of these. It has received an award of 

 merit from the Eoyal Horticultural Society. The par- 

 ents ai-e Eibston Pippin and Peasgood's Nonsuch. The 

 writer has observed 8-10 fruits on maiden bushes this 

 season. It is being distributed by J. Veitch & Sons. 

 Of apples of recent introduction I may mention Star of 

 Devon, a fine variety of moderate size and a late keeper. 



Veitch & Sons offer a new apple — Langley Pippin, 

 raised by crossing the famous Cox's Orange Pippin and 

 Mr. Gladstone; a very valuable acquisition. In season 

 in August and September. It received an award of 

 merit from the R. H. S. 



Peach Duke of York is a cross between Nectarine 

 Early Rivers and Peach Alexander, and ripening at the 

 same time as the last named. It has the distinct flavor 

 of the nectarine and is a free stone variety. Pear Santa 

 Claus is a fine variety in season at the end of December. 

 In form the fruit bears a resemblance to Doyenne du 

 Cornice. The variety obtained an award of merit from 

 the R. H. S. Pear Blickling is a lat6 variety raised by 

 Mr. Allan, gardener at Guntou Park, Norfolk, who on 

 January 12 of the present year. Was awarded a first 

 class certificate for the variety. The fruit ripens in 

 January. 



The famed raisers of strawberries, Messrs. Laxton, 

 offer some new varieties. Progress is the result of a 

 cross of British Queen with Latest of All. Messrs., J. 

 Veitch & Sons offer a novelty in strawberries in Alake, 

 raised by Mr. Seden at their Langley nursery. The 

 fruit is very large, more or less wedge shape, of a bright 

 scarlet color. The flesh is also scarlet. 



